I have been a very lucky sports fan the past year. Last year we got to experience the fun of the Pacers suddenly coming online and being really good, then I also got IU being a top 20 team a season earlier than expected, and now we are getting the Colts.

If you're a ND football fan you are getting an unexpected year there too. There is something special around Indiana sports right now. We are really fortunate. Butler kind of kicked it off with thier back to back championship game runs.

This year brought the fun back to football for me. Back with Peyton, wins were expected and losses were the end of the world. It's quite fun being able to celebrate a win, rather than thinking they almost gave it away.

Also, it's great that the Colts have shown the NFL that they can survive without Manning. For years, both NFL fans and many Colts fans assumed that the Colts would crumble after Manning, never to be heard from again. I'm as big a Manning fan as anyone, but I like the franchise first and foremost and I'm glad that we are carving out an identity for ourselves without him.

Can you imagine how much Jags and Titans fans probably hate us? We own them for years with Manning, then the wheels fall off last year without him and our team is completely exposed with a 2-14 record, only for us to get rewarded with the first pick that we use on the most hyped player since Manning. Then we immediately start winning again. Meanwhile, those two teams have one scrub quarterback after another. They have to absolutely hate us, and I don't blame them lol.